Solomon Islands United Party | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | UP |
| Founder | Peter Kenilorea |
| Founded | March 1980 |
| Ideology | Christian democracy |
| Colours | |
| National Parliament of the Solomon Islands | 6 / 50 |
 |
|---|
The Solomon Islands United Party (UP) is a political party in the Solomon Islands. [1]
History
The party was established in March 1980 by Prime Minister Peter Kenilorea, [2] and was based on the government he had led since 1978. [3] Kenilorea had initially been an independent, but sought to form a party in the build-up to the 1980 general elections. The party won 16 of the 38 seats and Kenilorea remained Prime Minister after forming a coalition government with the Independent Group. However, the government fell in 1981 after the Independent Group pulled out, at which point the People's Alliance Party's Solomon Mamaloni was able to form a coalition government with the National Democratic Party and independent MPs. [3]
The party retained significant public support throughout the 1980s, [4] and despite receiving fewer votes than the PAP in the 1984 elections, it won the most seats and Kenilorea returned as Prime Minister. He was succeeded by fellow SIUP member Ezekiel Alebua in 1986. However, the party won only four seats in the 1989 elections. The 1993 elections saw it reduced to three seats, and although it gained a seat in the 1997 elections, it lost parliamentary representation in the 2001 elections.
The party was revived in the build-up to the 2010 general elections when the new president, Joel Moffat Konofilia, launched its manifesto in July 2010. He claimed that God had cursed the Solomon Islands to punish the country for "vot[ing] against the nation of Israel" at the United Nations. Asking forgiveness from God, he added that "starting today and onward the United Party will vow its support and vote for Israel unconditionally in obedience to Genesis 12: 1–3". He stated that his beliefs and actions as leader, if elected, would be "rooted deeply in the word of God". [5] However, it ultimately did not contest the elections.
The party contested the 2019 general election, and won two parliamentary seats.
In the lead up to the 2024 general election, the party launched its campaign on 7 March 2024. A core aspect of the UP's manifesto was unity in diversity; the party advocated for developing a "real national identity" whilst preserving the ethnically diverse nation's numerous cultural identities. [6] Party leader Peter Kenilorea Jr., son of the nation's first prime minister, Peter Kenilorea, [7] announced the UP would re-establish ties with Taiwan while maintaining relations with China and reviewing China's security deal. [8] The party also sought to preserve relations with traditional development partners, although Kenilorea warned that Solomon Islands should not hold them as the country's sole saviours. [9] The UP called for a diversification of the economy and warned that the country's reliance on limited income streams, especially logging exports, left Solomon Islands vulnerable to external economic crises. Addressing issues regarding critical infrastructure structure was another priority for the party, particularly the poor state of the roads and bridges. [10] The party would go on to win 6 seats in the election.
Electoral results
| Election | Votes | % | Seats | +/– |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10,437 | 18.10 (#1) | 16 / 38
|
 16
|
| 1984 | 14,661 | 21.42 (#2) | 13 / 38
|
 3
|
| 1989 | 14,703 | 18.17 (#2) | 4 / 38
|
9
|
| 1993 | 12,973 | 10.50 (#4) | 3 / 47
|
1
|
| 1997 | N/A | N/A | 4 / 50
|
1
|
| 2001 | Did not contest | |||
| 2006 | 324 | 0.17 (#11) | 0 / 50
|
 0
|
| 2010 | Did not contest | |||
| 2014 | Did not contest | |||
| 2019 | 32,302 | 10.43 (#5) | 2 / 50
|
2
|
| 2024 | 46,662 | 13.49 (#3) | 6 / 50
|
4
|
References
- ^ Maealasia, Indy (8 March 2024). "UP launches campaign trail". The Island Sun. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 24 April 2024.
- ^ Hugh Laracy (1989) Ples Blong Iumi: Solomon Islands, the Past Four Thousand Years, p148
- ^ a b Haruhiro Fukui (1985) Political parties of Asia and the Pacific: Laos–Western Samoa, Greenwood Press, p1002
- ^ Party politics and government in Solomon Islands Australian National University
- ^ Konofilia launched his party in North Solomon Star, 12 July 2010
- ^ Maealasia, Indy (8 March 2024). "UP launches campaign trail". The Island Sun. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ Bainbridge, Amy; Aumanu-Leong, Chrisnrita (14 July 2022). "Solomon Islands MP Peter Kenilorea Jr wants to rip up the country's security pact with China". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Honiara. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "Solomon Islands politician Peter Kenilorea Jr will re-establish Taiwan ties if he gets into office". Radio New Zealand. 14 February 2024. Archived from the original on 14 February 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ Piringi, Charlie (8 March 2024). "United Party pledges to rekindle Partnerships with Traditional Allies, Including Taiwan". In-depth Solomons. Archived from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ Houanihou, John (27 February 2024). "UP Identifies the Solomon Islands Economy as Vulnerable". Sunday Isles. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
